1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf club irons, and in particular, to an iron type golf club having an improved hosel construction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional iron golf club heads use a hosel with a shank portion formed below the shaft socket, which normally extends directly into the heel portion of the club head. This produces the off-set-type hosel that exposes the shank portion of the hosel that protrudes beyond the club face, whereby golf shots hit at this critical heel area cause the ball to veer off in an eccentric direction after striking the pocket between the club head face and the hosel. Hence, the resulting "shank" golf shot is dreaded by those who play the game. The "shank" golf shot occurs because conventional club heads are normally offset rearwardly from the hosel center line and have a rearward face progression. Most conventional sets of iron golf clubs using this principle have progressive rearward face progression in accordance with the loft of the iron. Using these conventional irons, the ball may be "shanked" when the club face is swung outside the intended swing line, causing the ball to be struck in the pocket formed between the shank portion of the hosel and the club head face
There have been numerous attempts to produce golf club heads which are "shank proof," including my own patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,255, relating to a golf club with an improved hosel construction wherein the hosel is positioned behind the ball striking face at the heel portion, and the center line of the hosel intersects with a plane or loft of the ball striking face proximate the club head center of gravity.
Another patent directed to a shankless club is U.S. Pat. No. 1,550,501 to Byrne, which shows a golf club head wherein the hosel is located completely behind the ball striking face, producing a club head wherein the ball striking face is entirely ahead of the shaft center line. As shown in the drawings of Byrne, the shaft connects to the hosel above the club head body.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 2,683,036 to Kline, which discloses a golf iron wherein the hosel is located well behind the ball striking face and the longitudinal axis of the hosel is behind or fully to the rear of the club head. Kline teaches that a portion of the heel of the club head extends beyond the hosel, and the shaft connects to the hosel above at least the heel portion of the club head.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,041 to Barber, wherein a bridging portion connecting the hosel and the club head is formed so that the bridging portion and the hosel present in their golf ball contacting surfaces an essentially flat surface continuous with the surface of the club face. In Barber, a downward extension of the center line of the club shaft intersects the club head and is taught to intersect the plane defined by the club face in the lower quadrant. As shown, the shaft extends into the hosel to a point above the club head body.
Yet another patent, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 302,715 to Petersen, shows a low-lofted iron wherein the hosel connection is essentially an extension of the ball striking face. The shaft extends into the hosel and terminates above the club head body.
Yet another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,416 to Swanson, which discloses a golf club in which the blade is connected to the shaft of the club by a hosel extending rearwardly from the rear face of the blade at the heel end and then inclined away from the heel and forwardly and upwardly to position the bottom end of the club shaft forward and above the upper end of the blade. Swanson expresses the opinion that such a hosel will minimize the lever arm or torque arm tending to twist the blade upon impacting the ball. The patent explains that the forward mounting of the shaft positions the shaft axis in a plane which passes through the center portion or sweet spot of the blade. It explains that the shaft of the club is positioned in a plane ahead of the top edge of the blade.
Other patents of interest are U.S. Pat. No. 1,594,850 to Perkins; U.S. Pat. No. 1,135,621 to Roberts; and Canadian Patent 447,094 to Nilson. Each of these patents discloses a single, adjustable golf club head in which the hosel and shaft of the club are rotatably connected to the club head so that the loft of a single club may be varied, as desired.